Rise of a Huntress
by lil'hawkeye3
Summary: The little girl that Bruce Wayne saved from his collapsing building in Metropolis has a much larger destiny in their universe than originally thought... How will this orphan change the timeline when given a new home in Wayne Manor? -on hiatus-
1. Battle Orphan

She hadn't even realized how close she had come to death until she was safely in the man's arms, several feet away from where the several tons of metal had just crashed to the ground. It wasn't like she was terrified at the prospect of almost being killed; a result of the day seemed to be dying anyways.

Everything around her screamed out in grief, from the ruins of the skyscraper that had existed only moment before, to the vocal cries of both the wounded and of the observers who had witnessed such events. In the distance, more buildings could be heard crumbling as the city became an alien battleground, and more plumes of smoke added to the haze lingering in the streets. Twisted metal rods stuck up out of the piles of concrete like crosses and tombstones, turning the area into a graveyard- one she could've been part of.

Half of her wished she was. Looking into her savior's eyes and seeing his genuine worry only reawakened the intense sense of loss that coursed through her veins. The only person she had left to care for her was gone now.

"Hey, are you okay?" Now that her focus was on him, she realized the man was none other than the billionaire Bruce Wayne. His face was plastered on billboards across Metropolis, and she had seen him on the covers of one of her mother's magazines in her office earlier... The girl remembered that she hadn't answered Mr. Wayne's question, and nodded mutely in response. She didn't trust her voice at the moment.

Mr. Wayne surveyed the city block questioningly, his eyebrows furrowing. "Let's find your mother. Where is she?"

There it was: the pain caused her chest to clench and made taking each breath a struggle. _Just breathe, keep breathing_ , she chided herself. A tear leaked out of her eye as she turned and pointed at what was now the top of a neighboring building. She tried not to look at the jagged line that now separated the topmost floor from the sky, and she tried not to think about how her mother had been working five floors above that. _Ignore it, think of something else_. Trouble was, it was difficult to keep her eyes and mind off of the destruction.

The same seemed to apply to Mr. Wayne. He exhaled sharply and gently spun her to face him. More tears had freely begun to flow down her cheeks, and only after the man enveloped her in a hug did she realize that she was crying. She clung to him as she sobbed quietly, the gravity of the situation hitting her.

Her mother, the only family she had, was dead. Her home was most likely gone too, as she was fairly certain their apartment building had been one of the closest to the repeating shock waves made by large ship that had landed in the city's center. She wanted to badly wake up from this nightmare, but the warmth from the hug she was currently in reminded her that the world around her was real.

When she finally released Mr. Wayne, the man attempted a small smile for her. "It might take a while," he warned, "but you're gonna be okay, I promise." After receiving another silent nod, he stood up and offered her his hand. "Come on, I'll bring you to the rescue crews."

Somewhere deep inside, she knew this wasn't where she was supposed to go, and she let this be heard. "No."

Mr. Wayne stopped guiding her through the rubble. "What?"

She shrank back at his questioning tone. "I want to stay with you," she whispered. "I have no one left. I don't want to go into the system." She wasn't prepared for the understanding expression that flooded his features.

"How about you come back to Gotham with me?" he asked. "We can decide where to go from there."

"Okay." She let him lead her back to the main street, which was mostly clear of debris in one direction but completely blocked off in the other. Several people were stumbling around as others moved the injured towards parked ambulances and makeshift first aid centers. Three men carried a man by them, his legs limp and deeply cut above the knee. Mr. Wayne pushed her behind him in a effort to save her from seeing the depth of his wounds. She took the chance to look back at the remains of the Wayne Enterprises building; she didn't expect for the scourers to find many living. She wondered if Mr. Wayne had come looking for anyone, but decided against voicing such a question.

"Mr. Wayne!" A young woman ran up to the two of them, her shout drawing the attention of others. The girl felt him stand up straighter as the woman began to address him. "I know it's not much, but thank you for saving us. I was on the fifth floor, but because you ordered us all to get out..."

"It's alright," he saved her from continuing. "I tried to do all I could for this company, my family- I'm only sorry I couldn't do more." She was certain that he had lost someone now and squeezed his hand as her own way to console him. He glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow; his action drew the attention of the woman and few others that had gathered around them. She moved behind him even more, hoping to avoid becoming the subject of their questioning. Thankfully, Mr. Wayne saved her once again.

"If you'll excuse us, I want to have her checked out by the EMTs. It's been a trying day." His smooth words won over their audience, and the two walked over to where the main presence of vehicles began. They didn't stop after the ambulances blocked them from sight, and instead made their way through the thinning crowd to a black Jeep. He opened one of the back doors for her, and she timidly stepped in. Her mother had told her to never get in cars with strangers, but it's not like she had many other options- besides, she did ask for this. She closed the door herself and buckled up while Mr. Wayne got in the driver's seat and turned the keys to start the car.

"We can't drive to Gotham," she spoke up as he drove towards the port side of Metropolis. He looked at her in his mirror.

"I have a helicopter waiting at the docks," he replied.

"Because you're rich."

He let out a laugh. "Yes." A ringing sound filled the car, cut short when he dug his phone out out of his pocket and answered it. "I'm fine, Alfred."

 _"Of course you're fine,"_ a stern British voice replied. _"You've been in worse situations on your nightly-"_ The man was drowned out by Mr. Wayne's annoyed tone.

"We're having a guest that'll be staying with us for a while."

 _"Being a gentleman, are we, Master Bruce?"_

Mr. Wayne audibly sighed. "Always am, Alfred."

 _"Of course you are, sir."_ The older man's sarcasm caused her to quietly giggle. _"May I ask who our guest is?"_

"..."

 _"Good lord, have you not even asked their name? They must think you've been raised in a barn!"_

She decided to save Mr. Wayne the embarrassment of asking. "I'm Helena."

"Her name is-"

 _"I heard, Master Bruce. Tell her I shall be awaiting her arrival."_

"Thank you, sir," Helena leaned closer to Mr. Wayne's seat and said.

 _"I like this girl already!"_ Mr. Wayne groaned and hung up.

Helena smiled and added in the silence: "I think I'll like Mr. Alfred as well."

"Great, just what I need," he muttered. "Alfred having a partner in crime."

* * *

Helena had never seen anything more hauntingly beautiful than the Wayne Manor. The building stood in a sea of grass, almost like a monument to something long lost. Vines curled up every wall of the manor and seemed to have choked the life out of it over the years. Against the cloudy sky, the stone walls appeared white... her awe turned to sadness as she realized the clouds were actually smoke. As she climbed out of the Jeep, a mausoleum on the edge of the nearby woods caught her eye. The whole world knew Bruce Wayne's parents had died years ago; she wondered if that was where they were buried.

"Helena?" Mr. Wayne had paused in his trek to the manor's doors when he hadn't felt her following him. He waited until she jogged to his side before continuing into his home. They were only several feet away from the door when it swung open, Alfred clearly expecting their arrival with his sixth sense.

"Ah, Master Bruce, good to see you've managed to stay in one piece for another day." Helena smiled as Mr. Wayne rolled his eyes and patted the elder man on the shoulder.

"You worry too much, Alfred," he shot back. Alfred chuckled and focused on Helena next.

"And this must be Miss Helena." She was glad that he merely shook her hand instead of kneeling down to her height as many adults had done in the past. "Welcome to Wayne Manor."

Helena made sure to give a firm handshake like she'd been taught. "It's nice to meet you, sir." As Alfred closed the door behind the three of them, she did her best to not let the magnificent interior of the mansion distract her too much. "Mr. Wayne, you and Alfred have a pretty home."

Mr. Wayne shared a look with Alfred. "Helena, feel free to call me Bruce."

"Okay, Mr. Wayne." Alfred laughed and led the girl into the kitchen as Bruce Wayne sighed in defeat.

"Miss Helena, I do believe you and I will be good friends," he complimented her. She grinned happily. "Why don't you sit at the bar while I fetch you a drink." Helena wasn't going to argue, she understood Alfred to be the real master of the house. Even Mr. Wayne didn't seem to question him. She made sure to sit patiently with her hands in her lap on one of the bar stools until Alfred placed a glass of water in front of her. She made sure to thank him before emptying it quickly; she hadn't realized how thirsty she was until then.

Helena focused on the British man as he calmly sat next to her. "I'm afraid Master Bruce hasn't used his manners like he was taught to, shame on him. Is it alright if I ask you some questions? Just to fill in some gaps," he reassured her. He proceeded once she nodded. "Could you tell me your last name, Helena? We can't have the police think you've gone missing, so I was planning on contacting them to assure you were safe."

"Jones. When my mom..." She trailed off, blinking away the wetness forming in her eyes. "When she adopted me, I took her last name."

Alfred pursed his lips sadly, and Helena already knew what his next questions were going to be. "I'm dreadfully sorry to ask this, Miss Helena, but what was your mother's name and where did she work?"

"Samantha Jones and Queen Enterprises. She was a sales representative." She did her best to burn a hole into the counter top with her gaze, desperately wanting something to distract her train of thought. "How long have you known Mr. Wayne?"

"Oh, his entire life." Alfred allowed her to change their topic of conversation. "Practically raised that boy since he was about your age..."

"I'm ten," she supplied.

"Double digits! Congratulations." She covered her mouth as she giggled slightly. "And what does this ten year old enjoy doing for fun?"

Helena shrugged. "I like drawing and climbing trees in the park." She didn't mention the feeling of freedom it brought her; that was something sacred that wasn't to be told.

"If you're interested, we might be able to go to the edge of the woods and see if there are any suitable climbing trees, and there's plenty of paper and pens at your disposal for artistic endeavors." He clapped his hands once and stood up. "Let's go see if we can track some down..."

Helena happily followed Alfred out of the room as they went to search for supplies, neither of them noticing that Bruce Wayne had been listening in from the balcony above.

* * *

 **Just a little idea I had when watching BvS the other day... Let's see if it goes anywhere!**

 **~Archie**


	2. Three of a Kind

_For those wondering if the Batclan was going to be included in this timeline... I believe this answers your question! I am aware of the theories circulating certain items in BvS and yes, they too will play a part. Never fear! I promise that details of the past of this universe will begin to be explained in the two chapters after this._

 _Thank you so much for all of your reviews, favorites, follows, and most of all, support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! -Archer_

* * *

"BRUCE!"

Helena ducked behind the couch in fright when the unfamiliar voice echoed angrily off the walls. She had been writing in a notebook Alfred had bought her for the purpose of expressing her thoughts instead of trapping them all inside of her head, something he had mentioned helped after traumatic experiences. Placing a pen in her hand had aided her so far, and near half of its pages were filled with whatever came to mind: flower doodles, imaginary worlds, old memories, and her life after the "Battle of Metropolis," as the media had dubbed the destruction from several days before. She supposed the present incident would end up as her next journal entry.

Peeking around the side of the furniture allowed her to see the entry hall and staircase well enough without her presence being entirely obvious. She had rightfully assumed the angry declaration had come from that direction as a vaguely familiar (in the way one recognizes a celebrity) young man stepped into view, his arms crossed over his chest in frustration. His dark hair dangled at a length that appeared an inch or so short to be tied back, and his startling blue eyes were currently glaring at a figure on the balcony above him. Helena knew Alfred had been in the kitchen when she checked five minutes ago, and therefore guessed that the recipient of this man's annoyance was Bruce Wayne.

"Hello to you too, Dick," he calmly stated in his usual deep tone. Helena tipped her head curiously to the side- the man now had a name for her to think of him as.

Dick's scowl and anger only grew at being addressed. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" Helena shrank back, figuring her four days in the manor had finally come to an end like every other dream. "How come when I get a new sister, I have to hear the news from _Alfred?!"_

 _New sister?_ Helena almost asked out loud in her confusion just as the meaning of the statement hit her. _Oh, he means_ me. Suddenly, she felt much better about the conversation that was taking place.

"And to think I was going to say it was nice to have you back, Richard," the butler called out from another room, his sarcasm evident by using Dick's full name.

"Missed you too, Alfie."

Bruce sighed, coming into her line of view as he stepped down the final section of the staircase. "Dick, she's just a guest, at least for the very moment. I only just received guardianship of her yesterday; nothing's been made completely permanent yet." He glanced over his shoulder towards the area where Helena was hiding; she gasped softly and scooted fully behind the couch, hoping he hadn't seen her. His next sentence dashed her hopes. "You can come out now, Helena." She offered him an innocent smile as she stood up and made her way over to the two men, stopping at Mr. Wayn- Bruce's side. She silently congratulated herself for referring to Bruce by his first name as he preferred (his reasoning being that she didn't work for him, wasn't a member of the press, and wasn't trying to squeeze him for money).

"Helena," his voice caused her gaze to flicker up towards him. "This is Richard Grayson."

Her hazel eyes turned back towards Dick, waiting patiently for him to make the first move. He grinned and extended his right hand for her to shake. "Hey, Helena; I'm Dick." Deciding there was no harm in doing so, Helena placed her hand in his and gave him a firm handshake. Despite her best attempts, a small giggle escaped when his smile grew wider at her action and Bruce rolled his eyes, like he was used to Dick's antics. Then again, he probably was by now.

"I'm Helena," she replied out of habit, sheepishly adding, "but I think you figured that out already." Embarrassed, she stared at her feet and self-consciously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Given the extra moment to think, she remembered where she had seen his face before. "Oh! You were on that magazine, the one..." She gulped, forbidding herself to outwardly react in any other way to the still-crushing feeling that accompanied the loss of her mother. "The one my mom had brought home two weeks ago." Harshly blinking several times convinced her that no signs of the previously impending tears remained, she looked back up at the men, not realizing that they could indeed tell her eyes were red. Neither commented on it. "' _Inside t_ _he Life of the Wayne Heir,'_ " she quoted.

Dick laughed. "They might have to retract that title, seeing as I've got you for competition." He winked at her.

Helena crossed her arms, a confused expression crossing her face as she surveyed him. "I don't see any competition." Only once she erupted into a fit of laughter did Dick and Bruce realize she was joking, and while the former joined in, Bruce merely shook his head and looked towards the heavens in a plea for help.

 _Please, let me keep my sanity,_ he silently groaned.

"If I might interrupt this gathering," Alfred announced, stepping through the kitchen entrance to address them all, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "Miss Helena, your lunch is ready. Master Richard," he tipped his head in the man's direction, "if you behave yourself, you are more than welcome to join us." Dick and Helena shared a look before dashing into the room, both clamoring for a larger helping than the other. Alfred chuckled lightly, stepping closer to Bruce now that the younger two were preoccupied and out of earshot. "I assume the press is now aware of Miss Helena's presence at the manor?"

"Yes; it was an expected result of submitting the paperwork to become Helena's legal guardian in lieu of her having any relatives. They've been eating up the fact I'm looking after a 'helpless orphan like I once was-'" he sounded disgusted as he quoted one such article covering their situation- "but as far as the system is concerned, a child is happy and in a safe household."

"Considering your nightlife, I'm not sure this household fits the classification of 'safe,' sir..."

"Alfred."

"Apologies, sir." The clattering of dishes from the kitchen as Dick and Helena served themselves distracted them both for a moment. "Based on past media experiences, I presume you'll be making a public appearance and statement soon?"

Bruce nodded in confirmation, unconsciously running a hand through his hair as he elaborated. "There's going to be a public press conference at Wayne Enterprises' Gotham headquarters tomorrow, followed by a private interview with Lois Lane from the Daily Planet. Dick'll be included in this too; might as well since he's here."

"Giving our own company the scoop, are we, Master Bruce?"

"That's just good business, Alfred." He smirked.

Alfred returned the reaction with a wry smile. "Shall I be informing Dick and his sister of these developments?"

 _"Alfred."_

The older man chuckled once again. "Yes, sir." He headed back into the kitchen to join the younger inhabitants of the manor while Bruce disappeared into the basement.


	3. Midnight in the Kitchen

_Sorry for the wait... Internet crashed as I was writing this up so I had to re-type most of it. If it seems all over the place, that's why! Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter!_

* * *

Helena had tried not to leave her room after nightfall.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she couldn't ignore the chill that ran up her spine when she thought of the possible terrors that lurked in the shadows. She was well aware that there were many more things to be afraid of during the daytime- including super-powerful aliens- but at least in the daylight you could see them coming. In the cover of dark, much more was hidden from sight.

It wasn't so much the dark that Helena had a problem with, now that she thought about it. Like every other child in American, she had heard horror stories about the numerous crimes that occurred in Gotham City. Although in a manor safely outside the main city, there was still that sense of foreboding at being so near the crime capital of the country.

Perhaps that was why she was currently standing in front of her bedroom door, her hand shakily hovering above the doorknob. Warm milk was an antidote her mother had always used whenever one of them couldn't sleep, and Helena was positive it would help her now as it had before... if she could only make it to the kitchen. There were several options to decide between in order to retrieve her prize.

a) She could wake Alfred up, as his room was right down the hallway, but Helena didn't want to disturb his well-deserved rest.

b) She could wake Dick, but she didn't really know or trust him just yet.

c) She could venture down the two floors to get to the kitchen herself, regardless of the evils in the shadows.

d) She could wake Bruce... needless to say, this was a _very_ last resort, a "DEFCON 1" option, if you will. (Suddenly, option "c" didn't seem so bad anymore).

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling it slowly, Helena made her choice. She turned the knob and opened the door as quietly as she could, hoping it wouldn't squeak and alert anyone- or anything- to her presence. Task accomplished, she pulled the blanket that rested on her shoulders tighter around her body and stepped into the hallway.

The light from the moon made everything she encountered more ominous, as the shadows they created reached menacingly into the majority of the walkway. Helena attempted to calm her nerves by making a game out of not letting the shadows touch her, and jumping from one lit spot to the next. She was quite glad for the windows on this particular floor, but made sure not to look out of them for too long in fear of seeing the eerie edge of the forest.

Once on the stairs, she made quick work of dashing down them to the second floor. Her luck seemed to have run out as she was greeted with near complete darkness, only a faint glow coming from the staircase. Gripping tighter to the blanket around her, she made to dash down the final flight of stairs, only to trip over the edge of her protective garment and tumble the rest of the way. With a loud 'thud,' she collapsed on the ground floor, cursing herself for emitting several cries as she fell. There went her chance of no one hearing her.

Thankfully the bottom floor was alight with the moon's rays as well. She picked herself up and softly stepped over towards the kitchen entrance, sighing in relief that her harrowing journey was at an end... at least, half of it. Although, there was always the option of sleeping on the couch and coming up with an excuse when she was inevitably found in the morning.

Distracted by her thoughts, she didn't see the figure stepping out of the kitchen until she crashed into them. A hand shot out and grasped her wrist, and assuming the worst, Helena kicked at the person's knee as hard as she could while simultaneously twisting her wrist. The girl knew she hit some part of her target when her foot hit something hard and the person yelped in pain. Now that she was free of their hold, she whirled around with her hands up in a boxing position, ready to hit them if need be. It took her several moments to notice that the man currently holding his knee with a slight grimace on his face was Dick Grayson. A gasp of realization left her lips.

"Shit! Damn, you've got a good kick," he groaned, releasing his leg and standing on it in order to test his weight on it. He eyed her curiously. "What're you doing down here?"

Helena preferred staring down at her fallen blanket to revealing how embarrassed she felt at being caught. "Um... I was..."

Dick raised his eyebrow, awaiting an answer? "You were what?"

She could feel a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "I was thirsty," she semi-admitted. "I just came down to get some milk."

"And your journey required you to pretend to be a ninja?" he teased, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook.

"The best ninjas are the ones you never expect," she retorted as she picked up her blanket and stalked around him and into the kitchen. Grabbing a carton of milk out of the refrigerator and placing it on the counter, Helena jumped in shock as two glasses were put down in the space next to it. She sighed- this seemed to be her punishment for not being stealthy enough. "You want some too?" Dick's grin was enough of an answer and resulted in her pouring them both a drink before they sat down on the bar stools, the milk carton still resting on the countertop.

Helena didn't realize she had sat for several minutes in silence, absentmindedly staring at the white liquid, until Dick reached out and touched her arm. An unspoken _Are you okay?_ was sent between them through the gesture. She shrugged in response, tugging her fingers through her tangled hair as a distraction.

"I miss her," she whispered, stubbornly scolding herself for allowing her eyes to become watery as she glared at her drink. She was thankful that Dick didn't say anything, instead settling for draping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her into a one armed hug after a brief moment of hesitation. Neither of them expected her to launch herself at him and wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder and bawled, the tears she had held in for so long finally breaking through her dams and spilling over. He didn't say a word as she cried, instead lowering his head so his chin rested on her shoulder as well.

It took a while for her to calm. When Helena finally did let go of him and gave him a shaky smile, she pretended not to see how his eyes were slightly red (as she expected hers looked as well). They didn't fill the silence as they turned back to their glasses. If her breakdown hadn't caused exhaustion to hit her full on, Helena would've laughed at the milk mustache Dick received as an award for chugging his milk so quickly. She settled for merely sipping at hers, her thoughts miles away, before she crossed her arms and rested her head on top of them.

She woke up in her bed the next morning without remembering climbing the stairs to get back. Assuming she had fallen asleep in the kitchen and Dick had carried her upstairs, the young man merely smiled when she thanked him for his actions (leading her to guess it was his way of confirming her assumption).

However, she never mentioned that she was really thanking him for comforting her in the same manner her mother once had.


	4. Meet the Press

**So much for quick updates... sorry guys :/ Thank you for all the lovely reviews! They make my day. Wouldn't be able to do this without all your support. Onto the next chapter!**

* * *

At the moment, Helena wished she had the ability to be invisible. The constant shouting from reporters and flashing of their cameras made her want to hide behind Bruce and Dick until the press conference was over. Standing on the top steps of the Gotham Wayne Enterprises building with a podium and microphones below them so their statements could be heard made her feel like an animal at a zoo on show.

"...and although she has already become a member of our family, we hope that she will officially join us soon. We are open to questions at this time." Bruce glanced down at her and gave her a minuscule smile while Dick placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly as the journalists started a frenzy in the chance to have their questions answered.

"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne!" A blonde woman at the front beat her colleagues to the chance, holding a recorder up to catch whatever answer she might receive. "What are your reasons behind taking another child, Ms. Jones, under your wing?" To Helena's confusion, Dick seemed to find the reporter's wording extremely amusing as she heard him let out a quiet laugh.

Bruce glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before leaning forward slightly to reply. "Having been in a similar situation to Helena's, it was not a difficult decision to come upon after having rescued her during the Battle of Metropolis and upon learning that, without a home or biological family, she would soon end up in the system again. Even though she had only been a temporary guest of ours at first, none of us can imagine the manor without her anymore. She's earned her place." He turned slightly and ruffled Helena's hair, causing her to laugh and creating another onslaught of camera flashes as photographers attempted to capture the gesture permanently. "Next question."

"Mr. Wayne! Will Ms. Jones be participating alongside you in your advertising contract with The Emirates Group for the _'Visit Gotham'_ campaign?" a tanned man with a thick British accent asked, holding a pen and notepad at the ready. Helena tipped her head slightly to one side; surely Alfred would've told her if a large foreign company expected her to appear in their commercials.

"That is a conversation that will be left between me and the advertising department of Emirates." Helena decided that issue was settled for now.

"Mr. Wayne, where will Ms. Jones be attending school?" _Yet to be determined._ "Will Ms. Jones be dressing in any particular designer's line?" _Not for the foreseeable future._ "Mr. Grayson, is it true you're single?" _Yes._ "Mr. Wayne, is it true _you're_ single?" _No comment._ She couldn't help but giggle at their answers and Bruce's annoyed expression.

A younger looking man stepped forward next, whom she vaguely remembered seeing on one of the main Metropolis news stations. She wondered if this meant her face would be all over the national news in the next few hours and did her best not to visibly tense at the thought. The reporter's words drew both her and everyone else's attention as he addressed Dick this time; Helena mentally thanked Bruce for not allowing the press to question her at the conference as well. "Mr. Grayson, is it true that you have been unaccepting of Ms. Jones due to the fact that, as Mr. Wayne's adopted daughter, she would hold more legal right to take over Wayne Enterprises in your stead?"

If a pin had dropped then, the sound of its impact on the ground would've been deafening. Helena felt herself freeze at the same time Dick did and simultaneously was quite glad Bruce didn't have laser vision like Superman, otherwise that journalist would've been fried to a crisp. His glare didn't waver as he stepped aside to allow Dick access to the microphones so his voice could be heard clearly.

"As far as I'm concerned," he said in a false calm tone, "Helena is on her way to becoming my sister. If Bruce decided to hand the company over to her once she was of age, I would gladly support his decision. However, both Bruce and I request that the spreading of these completely fictitious rumors regarding Helena be put to a stop immediately." While his words alone made the action seem optional, the underlying venom in his voice left an unspoken threat behind his order that no one wanted to willingly invoke.

Helena was shocked. Sure, she was fairly certain Dick approved of her presence, but she hadn't been expecting any response near the one he had given. What she didn't realize, but Bruce and Dick certainly did, was that she now was simultaneously protected from one group of powerful people and a large target for another. She _did_ see them both glance at her and then look back each other before Dick turned and offered her his hand, which she numbly accepted. As he led her towards the looming office building, she heard Bruce announcing that the conference was at an end and a rapid escalation in the number of echoing clicks as the press tried to capture the scene in front of them. Helena hyper-focused on the man next to her in order to block their audience out, to the point that she didn't realize when they had entered the Wayne building, the owner slipping in behind them. He was in time to catch Dick beginning to vent over the pushy reporter.

"That jerk has been trying to rile me up for _months_ _!"_ he hissed, running his free hand through his hair in frustration. "I didn't care when it was just about me, but I won't tolerate him going after her or this company over something stupid and false like that." Helena stayed silent, not knowing about Dick's history with the journalist and the media but not wanting to interrupt him either.

Bruce merely shrugged. "Not much you can do about it now." He looked down at Helena, his eyes softening slightly. "Are you okay?"

Helena nodded mutely, before awkwardly coughing into the crook of her elbow and meeting his gaze. "I'm fine." She could see the crowd outside hadn't thinned the slightest. "Was it suppose to be that quick?"

"No," he replied as Dick muttered _shouldn't have had it._ Bruce raised an eyebrow in challenge, causing Dick to scowl and stare at the ground. "However, it might be to our advantage, because we still have a private interview with a writer from the Daily Planet, and this way we can control what the public hears about the situation."

"There's not much to know about me," Helena mumbled, her cheeks tinging pink at the thought of having so many people hear about her. Dick laughed at her response, and a smirk worked it's way onto Bruce's face.

"Don't worry, it'll be about several things," Dick assured her. "For instance, we haven't given a proper reaction after the Metropolis incident, and this is where we're expected to talk about it." Helena smiled slightly, conveying her understanding in his unspoken statement: _We'll try and keep the conversation off of you._ She squeezed his hand softly. "Do you know who'll be interviewing us?" he questioned.

Looking over their shoulders, Bruce gestured towards the area behind the two, his eyes narrowing slightly. "See for yourself." They turned to find a darker skinned man conversing calmly with a ginger haired woman, a camera crew standing off to the side. The man seemed to have noticed their gaze as he nodded in their direction, prompting Bruce to lead them over to the small group. The woman fell quiet as they all surveyed each other, waiting for one to begin. Bruce broke the silence. "Lucius, good to see you," he said, giving the man a firm handshake.

Lucius chuckled. "It's only been three days since the board meeting, Bruce. Don't be so dramatic." He nodded at Dick. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Too long, Mr. Fox," Dick replied cheekily, knowing it would cause Helena to giggle. Lucius turned his gaze on her, smiling at her amusement.

"I assume this little lady would be the one we've all been waiting to meet?"

Helena straightened up, releasing Dick's hand to step forward and shake Lucius'. "I'm Helena. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fox." His smile only grew at her action.

"Call me Lucius, Helena. Welcome to the Wayne Enterprises family."

The man appeared to be about to continue speaking, but was cut off as the woman next to him lightly cleared her throat. "I hate to be the one to interrupt, but we do have a schedule we need to try and stick to. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like us to set up?" She directed her question towards Lucius and Bruce. "Sorry, I'm not used to having a full camera crew with me," she added, glanced in mock annoyance at the three men. One rolled his eyes sarcastically, clearly used to her teasing.

"Follow me; we'll go up to the fifth floor." Bruce walked off towards the row of elevators on the far wall, leaving the others to trail behind. The doors to three of the four contraptions opened mere seconds after he pressed the "up" button, leaving the crew and their equipment to enter one while Bruce, Lucius, Dick, Helena, and the reporter entered the other. The five stood together awkwardly as the elevator shut its door and began to rise; Helena was incredibly thankful it didn't play any music.

"I apologize, I didn't introduce myself before. My name's Lois Lane," the woman said, speaking mostly towards Helena. Her eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh! You're that newspaper reporter." Helena tipped her head to the side in confusion as the adults laughed quietly under their breath at her reaction. "If you're a writer, then why do you have a TV crew?"

"Well, Mr. Wayne's condition to take part in any interview was that it was facilitated by me." There was a subtle undertone of curiosity in Ms. Lane's statement, and Bruce obviously heard it.

"You have a history of excellent work, and you report the truth. I couldn't ask for more." When the elevator dinged, she could hear Ms. Lane thank him softly, and imagined that Bruce had nodded in return (as they were both standing behind her).

As Helena and the others stepped off the elevator, she wasn't the only one who could feel the more relaxed atmosphere in the group. They had found a common ground of respect, and that was good enough for her. She smiled secretly to herself. "I'm ready to start the interview!"


	5. Smile for the Cameras

**Apologies for taking so long... thanks so much for all your words of encouragement! Y'all are the bestest.**

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"Good evening, America. My name is Lois Lane and tonight I come to you from Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City, where I'm joined by owner Bruce Wayne and CEO Lucius Fox, along with Richard Grayson and Helena Jones." The redhead paused as the camera panned to each person as they were named; they all nodded in greeting as they were called. "I'd like to thank you all for meeting with me tonight."

Bruce gave a slight smile, but Helena could tell that much of the expression was an act. She was glad he had taken up role as spokesperson for the family, but she was well aware that eventually she would have to answer several questions. "It's our pleasure, Ms. Lane."

Ms. Lane smiled and nodded, glancing down at her notepad and tapping her pen against it once before speaking. "I do apologize for starting off on such a dark topic, but I believe it's best to get this out of the way first. What are your reactions to the devastating events that took place in Metropolis almost two weeks ago?" In a subconscious effort to keep her mind from wandering into the dangerous territory that went along with the aforementioned day, Helena grasped Dick's hand, only noticing after he softly squeezed hers back. She would've smiled if not for the memories she was trying to keep from resurfacing.

"It's something that's affected us all," Bruce began. "Many of us knew someone personally impacted by the events that took place, and everyone witnessed the horrors of that day. Even though we may have lost much, the important thing to take away is that we will rebuild and become stronger than before." They could all hear the soft whir of the camera as it zoomed in slightly to catch his glance at the two younger ones beside him.

Mr. Fox apparently approved of what the man had said. "I do not believe I could have said it any better." Helena didn't know much about Lucius Fox other than what she had observed in the past few minutes, but assumed that this was high praise. The businessman seemed to think over each word before he said it, which was something she respected.

"Out of the many heroic deeds that took place during the battle, several seem to be centered around you, Mr. Wayne. Is there any truth behind these stories?"

She internally cringed. Helena had seen the many news segments featuring Bruce, and several on her as well. As a nobody, naturally the media was dying to know about every aspect of her that they could gather from the few eyewitness pictures given to them. 'Who was the girl seen with Bruce Wayne? Did she have any relation to her? Was she safe? Had she been hurt? Did she lose anyone? What made her special enough to be taken in by the mysterious lone Wayne?' Helena was just glad none of _those_ types of reporters- the nosy ones who didn't care who they stepped on as long as they got the story- were in the room with them.

Everyone looked at Mr. Fox in surprise as he supplied a response before the questioned person. "Many employees who worked at our Metropolis branch reported being alerted and evacuated from the building due to MR. Wayne calling ahead to warn one of our executives. I am certain that this alone prevented dozens of fatalities." _Oh, he's getting the business part of it out of the way._

"This company is an extended family for me, so I did as much as I could to protect said family. It was an instinctive reaction. The few survivors I immediately came across I aided to the best of my abilities."

The four of them knew what was coming next before Lois Lane even said it. "Is the public correct to assume that Ms. Jones was one of these few?"

"Well, ye-"

Helena interrupted Bruce, not wanting to hear his politically neutral statement on the subject. "He saved me from a huge block of falling concrete!" She added happily, smiling up at him. Bruce raised an eyebrow curiously and looked down at her to meet her gaze, clearly understanding the _just go along with it_ glint in her eyes. He returned her smile and glanced back at Ms. Lane and her camera crew.

"To put it shortly, what she said," he chuckled, the other adults in the room doing the same. Helena kept her cheery expression locked in place and maintaining her innocent appearance.

"Mr. Grayson, you were attending a function in Star City at the time." _Ms. Lane must have decided it was time for 'Mr. Overprotective Brother' to speak up._ "What was your reaction upon hearing the news?"

Richard laughed slightly, running his free hand through his hair. "Knowing Bruce, I figured he was already in Metropolis. But he has a history of making it out of tight situations, so I wasn't as worried as I could be. With flights shut down in and out of the Gotham/Metropolis area for quite a while, I wasn't able to return as quickly as I had hoped." He sighed, tapping his foot as a distraction. "I knew several people who died in the battle, and heard the news while in flight. There was nothing I could do. However, I did come back to find Bruce alive and a new little sister."

 _So maybe he really does care..._ A bit of hope flared up inside Helena.

"While we might have had a happy ending, we know many did not," Bruce interjected. Helena stifled a sigh; it seemed Bruce couldn't stay away from business for too long.

She understood it was the same with Mr. Fox, but at least that was the very reason he was even present for the interview: to be the official voice of the company. "Set up a few days ago, the Metropolis Strong Fund aims to raise funds in order to help rebuild both the city and lives affected. With a primary base of five million, its balance has already grown to over twenty five million in the past eleven days." The man leaned forward with a soft smile, his hands seated professionally in his lap. "People from across the world are reaching out to help Metropolis, and remind us that we're not alone."

They could all tell that Ms. Lane's next statement was not scripted, mainly due to the tinge of gratitude that leaked through in her voice. "The people of Metropolis send their thanks to you both and your company."

Bruce merely dipped his head in a humble show of thanks. "We're just giving back to one of our many valued communities."

The ginger reporter straightened her shoulders and sat a bit more upright in her seat, showing that she was taking over the conversation again. "One of the main forces behind that day's events, Superman, has been both widely praised and condemned in the aftermath of the battle. What is your opinion on the hero's actions?"

Richard shook his head, saying, "What we think shouldn't influence such a personal opinion for others."

Helena couldn't agree more. Who were they to tell other people whether or not Superman's actions were justified? _Metropolis or the world..._ She didn't even want to think about the weight a choice like that would have on her. True, while it's not like she'd be choosing her mother over anyone else (because in either scenario, she would've died), she couldn't decide whether or not anybody else was worthless enough to be brushed aside as 'collateral damage.' Hopefully, the fte of the world would never rest in her hands.

"Many are talking about your newest addition to the Wayne family. How has life been in the Wayne household?"

Bruce and Dick looked down at her as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Do you want to?" The elder asked.

She took a deep breath before slowly exhaling and turning on a cheery smile. "Sure. _S_ ince..." She paused for a moment, steeling her nerves. "Since I lost my adopted mother in Metropolis, Bruce kept me from going back into a group home or the foster care system. Both him and Al- Mr. Pennyworth have been incredibly welcoming and kind" _although Bruce has been distant,_ she left unsaid, leaving the words to echo in her mind. "They even got me a sketchbook! And even though Di- Richard hasn't been around long, he's pretty cool." She poked him sharply in the side in an attempt to lessen the smugness in his grin. "He's like the big brother I always wanted!"

This only fueled his reaction. "Aw, love you too, little sis!" He joyfully said, pulling her in for a hug while simultaneously ruffling her hair, causing it to fall in front of her face.

"Richard!" Helena whined, only to shriek his name moments later as he began to poke her sides as revenge, not realizing at first she was ticklish. "Bruce, help!" None of the adults were in any position to aid her though, as they were all laughing at both their antics. Even the camera crew had failed at keeping a straight face. It took several moments for them all to relax before Bruce finally told Dick to stop. Helena huffed and stuck her tongue out at the young adult, which only succeeding in amusing him even more.

Ms. Lane coughed lightly as a way to call their attention back to the matters at hand, although a smile still rested on her face. "Unlike Mr. Grayson, who was a ward of the city before being fully adopted and had not previously been in the system, Ms. Jones is close to being officially your daughter, Mr. Wayne. Will she be taking your family name?" _Oh thank god, it's not the same question the other reporter said earlier that upset Dick- wait WHAT?!_

"It's not something we've discussed yet-" Bruce had begun to explain before he caught sight of Helena excitedly nodding her head and practically bouncing in her seat. "But," he continued with a chuckle, "it has a strong probability of occurring."

"We have time for one final question; Mr. Wayne, Mr. Fox, is there anything you'd like to say to the people of America and the world about the trials that lie ahead of us?"

Bruce leaned back slightly, and Helena assumed this was partly because the interview was at an end. "Be resilient."

Mr. Fox appeared to agree with this. "Help one another so we can come back better than ever, and don't lose hope." She was glad she didn't have to say anything, because it wouldn't sound half as good as either of their statements.

"Thank you all for being here tonight." She nodded at them as a whole before shifting towards the cameras. "America, you heard it here first: don't give up, don't give in, and be strong. This is Lois Lane, signing off." The woman was silent for a moment until one of the crew gave her a thumbs up, signalling they had stopped recording. "That was great!" She stood up, and the rest followed suit as the techies began to pack up their equipment. "Thanks so much, guys, and gal. And good job Helena, you owned the camera."

Normally, Helena would've basked in the praise from a figure such as Lois Lane, but she was far too concerned with Bruce's earlier proclamation. "Thanks, Ms. Lane! Bruce, do I really get to be a Wayne?" She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes, hoping that they would work on a 'Mr. Strong-and-Silent' type like him.

He shared a look with Dick, who looked at him blankly. "Don't ask me for advice, I'm a Grayson," he teasingly reminded the man.

"Well Alfred does seem to enjoy your company; besides, the manor does get a bit empty sometimes..."

Helena took that as a yes. "Ah, thank you!" She cried, jumping happily so she could wrap her arms around his neck and hug him. Thankfully, Bruce had good reflexes and caught her so she wouldn't fall and hurt herself. A rare smile spread across his face, one the promptly disappeared as the tell-tale 'click!' of a phone's camera went off. Both he and Helena glared at the culprit, but Dick didn't find either of them intimidating.

"This is going on both my Facebook _and_ yours, Bruce," he said with a cackle, sliding out of reach of both Waynes (well, Wayne and soon-to-be Wayne). "Oh and Instagram, and Snapchat... maybe even the company site!"

"Absolutely not, Richard."

"Okay fine, but only because you said so, Lucius. Hey, I could get a print of it and hang it in the manor!"

"Dick, you're not framing that."

"I'll just ask Alfred. He'll let me put it up."

Bruce sighed.


	6. Cat and Mouse

**This chapter reaaaalllllyyyyyy didn't want to write itself; apologies for how long it took :/ Thank you for all the feedback though, I love hearing from y'all!**

 **Got a few introductions for you in this one!**

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"You nervous?"

Helena looked up from where she was playing with the hem of her dress to find Bruce staring at her with a twinge of sympathy in his eyes. They were only a few minutes away from what would be Helena's first gala, and with it, her first time mingling amoung the masses of high position individuals of the world as they converged in Gotham for the Metropolis Strong ball. Even though she knew Metropolis was still far too damaged to host such an event, she found it funny that its fundraiser was being held across the river in its sister city.

There were times Helena dreamed of both dressing like and being a princess, but this was not one of those times. Sure, she loved how her black dress sparkled with purple sequins under light and that her long sleeves would keep people's hands off her arms, but the price of going to such an event was greater than she would've liked. All three men in the manor had been drilling her on who everyone at the event was and the correct responses to every one of their possible questions. She knew this would be no walk in the park, and that she would be the center of much attention as they all "try to dig their claws into her," as Dick had eloquently put it before being reprimanded by Alfred for frightening her. The British man had reassured her that Dick had been far more anxious for his first gala than she was, and "if that scamp survived without a scratch, I have no doubt you will as well."

Only after Bruce called her name did she realize she hadn't answered him. "I'm fine."

She expected him to chuckle, but not reach over and pat her hands. _He's probably just practicing for when we're in front of the cameras._ "Helena, it's alright. If you weren't nervous, I'd be worried." He glanced playfully at Dick, who was sitting on the limousine bench across from them. "Besides, Dick almost ditched me before his first one, so you're already doing better than him!"

Helena couldn't help but laugh at his mock-horror expression. "Bruce, I never thought you'd betray me like that!" His words just set her off even more, and even Bruce chuckled. "Don't be surprised if I abandon you with the paparazzi..."

As the vehicle slowed down, Bruce gestured towards the throngs of people outside their window, screaming at their arrival. Helena could hear high-pitched shrieks of _"We love you, Dick!"_ from many young females and raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Something tells me you'll be the one having a problem," the elder Wayne teased him.

Dick turned a pleading gaze onto Helena, his blue eyes wide. "Little sis, you wouldn't let your big brother be torn to shreds by the bloodthirsty hoard that awaits him, would you?"

She cringed as their driver opened the door and let them hear the crowd at full volume; Bruce stepped out first in order to assist her. "Sorry, big brother, you're on your own." She allowed Bruce to take her hand as she stepped out of the limousine, and was immediately grateful for his support, as the numerous flashes of the paparazzi cameras nearly blinded her. Nevertheless, Helena stood straight and held her head high (as her mother had reminded her to always do when in public) as she posed for photo after photo with Bruce.

"You're doing great," he praised her as they began to make their way towards the entrance of the Gotham City Opera House, pausing every so often as journalists called out to them for another picture.

Helena risked a glance over her shoulder and giggled at Dick as he was unable to escape the press' attention and that of his... fangirls. Tugging on Bruce's jacket sleeve to grab his attention, she pointed at her brother just as one of the young women on the edge of the crowd grabbed hold of his tie and dragged him in for a kiss. Bruce sighed, released Helena's hand, and walked over to Dick before grasping him by the back of his collar to pull him free of the frenzy.

"Thanks," Dick panted, glaring at Bruce's smirk for a brief moment once they stood back next to Helena. "Let's just go inside."

She wasn't about to let him forget his encounter that easily. "Can't wait to see you headline all the gossip columns starting in the next five minutes."

"Oh shut up-"

"Children. Behave," Bruce quietly but sternly ordered as they entered the building. The two silently obliged, knowing that they had an image to uphold. "We're going to walk around for a bit, but you two will have to stand with me when I give a quick thanks to the donors." He gestured towards the grand staircase in the lobby where a podium with a microphone was set up. Two staircases on either side of it provided a route upstairs for those who wished to view the event from above. Helena promised herself she would get up there for at least a few minutes later on.

She lost track of time in the following minutes as she was introduced to countless powerful individuals, not having any source of entertainment as Dick had already gone off elsewhere. Thankfully, most of the figures seemed to be searching for something in Bruce's responses and therefore ignored her. There was the occasional, _"How does being a Wayne feel?" "You did a very good job in that interview, young lady."_ A positive answer and bright smile always seemed to appease them.

After a while, Helena noticed Bruce was distracted by something, enough to allow her to wander the room by herself. "Make sure to stay within sight of others," he warned before disappearing into the crowd. Left to her own devices, Helena dashed over to the nearest staircase in order to reach the balcony.

Her path was blocked by a man in a white suit and caramel hair that almost reached his shoulders. He stared down at her in surprise, as if she had appeared in front of him through teleportation. "Oh! Terribly sorry." He voice wavered like he was overly excited about her arrival. "Who might you be, little girl?"

Put on the spot so suddenly, all of the guest names Bruce and Dick had taught her about flew out of her mind, so she desperately hoped this person was alright to speak with. "I'm Helena Wayne, sir. Who are you?"

The man's eyes narrowed calculatingly. "Ah, you're the new Wayne everyone's been so... interested in."

 _Uh oh._

"I'm Lex Luthor," he continued, extended one hand with a dramatic wave and bowing slightly. Helena knew she didn't have much of a choice but to shake it.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Luthor."

His laugh set her even more on edge, if that was possible. It sounded double edged, like he found what she said hilarious, but possibly for a secretive reason that would disturb the average person. "My father was Mr. Luthor; call me Lex."

Helena looked down at her feet and nervously shuffled them. "If it's all the same with you, I'd rather call you Mr. Luthor. My mother taught me to respect those who deserve it." _I hope he believes that,_ she silently wished, clasping her hands behind her back self-consciously. Mustering the most innocent expression she could, she looked back up at Mr. Luthor to find him eyeing her with both curiosity and a hint of suspicion.

Mr. Luthor opened his mouth to reply, but was quickly interrupted as a woman in a dark blue dress accented by a pearl necklace strolled up to stand next to Helena. "Good evening, Mr. Luthor. Helena, darling, you look absolutely gorgeous in that dress!" Helena had never been happier to see Lois Lane. The reporter spoke with an air of confidence, and she couldn't help but admire the way she stood up to Luthor.

"Was there something you needed from Helena, Mr. Luthor? Because otherwise, her brother has been asking around for her."

They all knew the billionaire had no excuse for wanting to continue a conversation any more. "Oh, of course not! Best you run along then, little Wayne." He dipped his head in closure before sauntering off into the sea of people.

Helena didn't notice she had breathed a sigh of relief until she heard Ms. Lane's laugh. "I'm glad I found you just then," she said teasingly with a wink, although Helena could tell there was a serious undertone to her voice.

She tipped her head to one side as the redhead led her up the staircase that had been her original destination goal. "Richard didn't really ask for me, did he?"

"No, but I couldn't think of anything better at the time." Once on the upper level, Ms. Lane waved over a tall man with glasses. "I thought you might like to stick with me, since going off on your own doesn't seem like a good idea at the moment..." She trailed off as she was distracted by a tall figure approaching them. "Oh, there you are, Clark!"

Helena was still nodding in agreement at the woman's first statement as she quietly surveyed the man that had now come to a stop next to them at the balcony. He wore a crisp black suit and tie, and black hair was swept neatly back out of his face. He moved his glasses further up his nose as he came to a stop in front of them, pearly white teeth showing as he smiled.

"You seemed to handle Luthor well," he congratulated Lois first before turning towards Helena with a friendly gaze. "The same goes for you, Ms. Wayne." Helena felt her eyebrows rise in shock at being addressed so casually in such a setting. It made him seem real compared to many of the stuffy individuals at the event.

Thankfully, Ms. Lane jumped in before Helena had to ask the man's name. "Helena, I'd like you to meet Clark Kent. He's one of our newest reporters at the Daily Planet."

Helena nodded politely while shaking his hand. _Woah, talk about a strong handshake._ Something didn't add up though, and so she decided to voice her query. "Are you two together?" When both adults seemed to choke on the very air they were breathing, she decided that probably wasn't a good thing to say. "I'm sorry, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent."

Ms. Lane was the first to recover, letting out a breathy laugh as she placed a reassuring hand on Helena's shoulder. "Helena, it's all right. You're correct, we just weren't planning on making anything public yet. And please, feel free to call us Lois and Clark," she added as an afterthought.

"Um... alright, Ms. L- Lois," she hurriedly corrected, ignoring Clark's amused snort at her slip-up. Before then, she had never been actively told to address so many adults by their first name, and it was a habit that appeared to be hard for her to break.

When Clark gestured towards the main staircase and said her name, however, she did listen to him. "I believe your presence is requested below." She followed where he was pointing to find Bruce and Dick making their way to where the podium stood for their thank-you speech to the donors.

"I have to go-

"Just walk down that staircase like you're a queen," Lois helpfully instructed. "We'll be watching!"

"So no pressure," Clark joked, grinning as Helena stuck her tongue out at him before doing exactly as Lois had said: walking slowly down the staircase with one hand trailing on the banister (this was how she pictured royalty would enter). She definitely felt like a princess now, and this time, it wasn't such a bad thing. While Dick smiled openly at her, Bruce settled for a minuscule smirk before he directed himself towards the crowd, clearing his throat once to make the room fall silent.

"For all of our sake's, I plan on keeping this short and sweet," he began with a chuckle, causing the majority to join in. Helena was amazed at how he already had them all enraptured. "In the aftermath of one of the single most destructive events in our modern times, a city that symbolizes so much for so many found itself wounded on several levels: physically, emotionally, spiritually. The innocent voices of our bothers and sisters cried out for help, and it was not something that any of us could ignore. That's why we're all here- to do our part in rebuilding Gotham's sister city, and one of the greatest in the world, Metropolis!"

The end of Bruce's sentence was drowned out by the resounding applause that thundered throughout the room, punctured every so often with vocal cheers. Helena and Dick's smiles were real as they too clapped, though they stopped far before Bruce raised his hand to reclaim everyone's attention. "As we stand here tonight to celebrate this new beginning, it is important we do not forget the voices of those who did not live to see this rebirth. The first responders, friends, family..." He trailed off, letting his lack of words speak for itself. "As we rebuild, let us not forget the past that brought us to this moment of opportunity, as it is responsible for our new found unity." If possible, the crowd's response was even louder as Bruce said his final lines, enabling only the reporting news stations to hear him, but only through his microphone. "We thank you all for coming tonight to help and build our future!"

It took several minutes for the noise to die down as people began to mingle, the three behind the podium taking this time to step down the stairs and onto the main floor. "So," Dick said, shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking back onto his heels. "That was a thing. Good job with the thing." He gave Bruce a thumbs up, causing both Waynes to roll their eyes.

 _"Thing_ is quite a vague term to describe such a wonderful speech, but I suppose it fits," Lois teasingly critiqued as both she and Clark walked down the main staircase to join them at its base. "Mr. Wayne, as a citizen of Metropolis, I'd like to thank you for everything you've down for our city."

Bruce politely shook his head. "While I appreciate the thanks, I believe it's most fitting to thank the thousands of donors from around the world for their contributions, both large and small, to the Metropolis fund."

Helena wasn't about to let him get away without taking some of the credit. "Bruce, you were the one to start up this charity, and it was your idea. Just accept Lois' thanks already." She crossed her arms and glared at him, smiling brightly when he sighed in defeat, knowing she had "won" the battle (though she knew it was only because it was a small issue and they were in public). Bruce looked ready to say speak when a cheerful voice called his name from the crowd.

"Bruce, Dick! How nice it is to see you both on such a _purrfect_ night!" A tall, dark brunette woman in a black, floor-length mermaid dress was strolling towards them with a secretive sort of grin on her face. Helena noticed that the crowd seemed to part on either side of the woman, and the number of whispered conversations in the room seemed to skyrocket due to her entrance. A few individuals were near enough for Helena to pick up bits and pieces of their gossip.

 _I thought she was still locked up for that last gem heist of hers..._

 _...telling you, Joan, keep sight of your bracelet; she might try to slip it off..._

 _...didn't think this place allowed cats..._

 _It is refreshing to see her contributing to a good cause for once..._

Neither Bruce nor Dick had any chance to reply to the woman's greeting as Lois stepped forward first, a stony expression in place. Helena wasn't stupid; she could tell this mysterious new woman had a history that many did not seem to like. "This is a charity, Ms. Kyle," Lois said with a slightly snide tone. "I hope you won't be relieving anyone of their baubles."

Ms. Kyle raised an eyebrow, an innocent smile stretching across her face. Helena knew the expression; it was one she had worn many times before. "Oh, don't you worry about it, Ms. Lane. I wouldn't touch your costume jewelry in a thousand years."

Helena would've laughed when she saw the three men taking a cautious step back if it weren't for the livid fire in Lois' eyes. "What- how dare you! Clark gave me this necklace; it's genuine from-"

"Ah yes, I heard all about your newest reporter. Excuse me if I doubt Nebraska-"

 _"Kansas,"_ Lois interrupted.

Ms. Kyle continued on like she hadn't heard her. "-Has suddenly become renowned for... _fine_ pearls such as yours."

Helena glanced towards Dick as she heard him loudly whisper to Bruce behind his hand. "Please tell me I'm not the only one who finds this super hot."

 _"Dick."_

"Knew you'd agree with me, Bruce."

More interested by this conversation, Helena tugged on Dick's sleeve, catching both their attentions. "What do you mean by this being 'super hot?'" She questioned curiously. Dick opened his mouth to respond, but Bruce spoke up before he could.

"You're too young to know about that."

Helena's huff of frustration drew Ms. Kyle's attention immediately. "Bruce," she purred, approaching Helena, "are you upsetting my kitten?"

"Ms. Kyle, I am not your _kitten,_ " Helena hissed, ducking away from her and moving in between Bruce and Dick.

The woman's laughter floated through the air. "Kitten, I remember Richard here saying the same, but that didn't change a thing." Her flirtatious wink towards the mentioned man made Helena grimace in disgust.

"Please never do that again," she groaned, turning her head away as she attempted to erase the scene from her memory. It took all her self restraint to not react when she felt the woman stroke her hair gently. _Next thing I know, she'll sprout a tail!_

"I think I'll be taking my leave; the stares are starting to become awfully tiring," Ms. Kyle casually stated, leaving Helena's side to step in front of Bruce. She leaned forward, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in his lapels as a visual excuse to quietly speak with the Wayne. Helena didn't bother to watch for a reaction from him, as she had learned by now that Bruce had an exemplary grasp on his emotions. She instead focused on Clark and Lois, who had stepped away from their group to have what looked like a very serious yet animated discussion (she found some of Lois' hand gestures amusing, but supposed it was an aspect of her personality).

Her attention snapped back to Bruce and Ms. Kyle as the two stepped apart from each other, each seeming to silently challenge the other for who was going to talk first. Apparently, it was a tie, as Dick took this chance to be his usual sarcastic self.

"Feels like mom and dad had an argument; is someone going to be sleeping on the couch tonight?"

Ms. Kyle laughed once again as Bruce glared at Dick, who calmly smiled back at him (Helena was sure he had a death wish). "Don't be a stranger, kittens," she winked at both Dick and Helena this time before walking away. "And Bruce," she stopped, glancing over her shoulder as her voice turned steely, "try and keep an eye on your little birdies this time."

Helena was tempted to ask the men next to her about what Ms. Kyle meant, but their furious expressions kept her silent the rest of the night.


	7. Return to the News

**Sorry guys, but I've got finals next week, so don't expect much from me for a few days. Thanks for sticking with me, and here's a more emotional chapter to follow that last one!**

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The next morning found Helena awake before everyone else in Wayne Manor. She sat on the couch watching the morning news, her hand absentmindedly picking blueberries out of a bowl on her lap and popping them into her mouth. _...Last night's Metropolis Strong gala drew celebrities from all over the globe, most notably bachelor Richard Grayson, who was seen on the red carpet greeting fans._ Pictures of Dick with the screaming girls from before graced the television screen, causing Helena to cringe. His smile appeared genuine, but she could see the tortured glint in his eyes.

"What are you laughing at?" She looked over the top of the couch to see Dick yawn into his hand as he walked around the chair and plopped down next to her. He groaned as he caught sight of the photos, and this time she giggled slightly. "No, why are you watching this? That's mean."

She shrugged apologetically. "I couldn't find any of you, and I didn't know what else to do..."

"Yeah..." Dick scratched his head. "The manor hasn't ever really been kid-friendly. If you'd like, I can try to find some of my old books?" He smiled at her elated nod but pretended not to notice her attempt to hide a grin.

 _Among the attendees was also Gotham's new sweetheart, Helena Wayne. Guests reported seeing her speak with billionaire Lex Luthor and spend extensive time with_ Daily _Planet reporter Lois Lane. Many have commented positively about Ms. Lane's behavior towards Ms. Wayne, with several suggesting she take over a maternal role for the young orphan. Although we did try to contact Mr. Wayne, no statement has officially been made._

Helena and Dick sat in silence as the reporter's co-anchor began speaking of the gala's events. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to something like that. How often did complete strangers say that another adult should become someone's new parent? People weren't things you could just replace.

"So..." Dick trailed off blankly. Helena glanced over to find him actually looking surprised. Not to see that she wasn't, but she assumed he would be used to the media's antics by now. His reaction worried her.

"She's not my mom," Helena said, staring down at her bowl of blueberries as she tried to blink back tears. It seemed that the harder she tried to hold on to any memory of her mother, the rest of the world did their best to push her away.

Dick hummed, leaning back against the cushions and crossing his arms. "I know." She supposed he might, what with him being an orphan as well.

"I'm not 'Gotham's sweetheart.'"

He nodded. "I know." He reached over to steal several blueberries, chuckling when she slapped his hand in defense.

"If you want some, go get your own."

Dick stood up, shoving his slapped hand into his sweatpants pocket as he jogged over to the kitchen. "I know!" He called from the other room. Helena redirected her attention back to the television, where the blonde woman had begun speaking again.

 _...former thief turned private security expert Selina Kyle also made an unexpected appearance. One of Bruce Wayne's many flings, Ms. Kyle made a very public entrance before engaging with the Wayne-Grayson trio, as well as Ms. Lane and another Daily Planet reporter._

Helena tipped her head to the side slightly; she hadn't known about Bruce and Ms. Kyle having a relationship before. Then again, she hadn't known who the woman even was until the previous night. She wondered what Bruce had been doing to meet the thief in the first place.

"How did Bruce even meet Ms. Kyle?" She vocalized as Dick walked back into the room, a bowl of blueberries in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. He shrugged casually.

"No idea. Probably some fundraiser thing," he smoothly replied. Helena narrowed her eyes in suspicion at his statement.

"How did _you_ meet her?"

Dick shrugged again. "First time Bruce brought her here?" He leaned over to nudge her playfully. "Don't think I don't see what you're trying to do here."

She blinked up at him innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about, brother." He shook his head before they both turned back to the television, silently watching it as they continued to eat their simple breakfasts.

That was what Alfred found them doing several minutes later when he walked in from the basement, wiping his hands with a cloth that he placed into his pocket. "Good morning, children. So nice to see you up before noon, Master Richard." He chuckled as the young man gave him a sarcastic salute without looking away from the screen. "Would either of you like some breakfast?"

Helena held up her bowl so the man could see it. "No thanks, we already raided the kitchen."

"Getting a bowl of blueberries does not count as 'raiding the kitchen.'"

"Dick, hush."

Alfred was ready to interject, but the sound of the news channel switching to a "breaking news" story kept him from needing to halt their bickering.

 _We have breaking news to report as Superman has just been sighted for the first time since the Battle of Metropolis! A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 en route to LaGuardia Airport from Phoenix, Arizona suffered an engine fault in flight and had their emergency message answered by the Man in Blue himself. The plane was successfully grounded at the Nashville International Airport..._

Superman was back.

Helena wasn't sure whether she should be happy that he saved people, or angry that he saved people that weren't her mother. Or angry because he had returned, or because he hadn't addressed his previous actions, or because so many still loved him, or because he was above the law and therefore not punished. As the list grew longer, Helena found it harder for herself to focus on the world around her. Her vision blurred, possibly with tears, as she drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. A ringing sound started in her ears as the sounds of Dick, Alfred, and the television melted into those of destruction and anguish that were left in the wake of Superman's debut in Metropolis.

 _Mother!_ She heard herself cry out, and found herself stumbling through the streets before Bruce's building collapsed. Her hands moved to her ears in an attempt to block out the screams she was hearing.

" _Helena?"_ A voice called out from the dust surrounding her mother's workplace. _"Helena, it's alright, now focus on me."_ The voice was layered, and Helena thought that one aspect of it was her mother's.

"No, no, no, no!" She shook her head frantically. "Leave me alone! You're not here!"

"HELENA!"

Her head snapped up, almost smacking Dick under his jaw due to him resting his head on top of hers in an attempt to calm her. She looked around wildly for a moment before remembering where she actually was- in Wayne Manor. Staring straight ahead, she was met with the sight of Alfred giving her a small smile as he held her left wrist; she assumed she had unconsciously lashed out at him and blushed apologetically.

"Sorry," she muttered, glancing down in embarrassment.

"Don't be," Dick reassured her, pulling her in for a hug. She didn't argue it, quietly accepting his gesture. Helena caught Alfred's eye as she looked at him over Dick's shoulder.

"Being human is nothing to be ashamed of, Helena," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair. "Do not see this as a weakness, but rather something that makes you stronger."

Not knowing how to respond, Helena settled for nodded tiredly. She wasn't about to forget what he said anytime soon.


	8. Coffee Shop Talk

**This is what happens when you mess up your own timeline and have to rewrite a chapter 4 times. Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

"So..." Helena glared at Dick in annoyance, causing him to trail off and send her a wry smirk. "It shouldn't be long now. She's just down the street."

The younger girl groaned, crossing her arms on the table and using them to prop her chin up. "Why am I even here again?" She whined, glancing around at the people seated around them. Most seemed to be enthralled in their own conversations, whether they were business related or casual. Helena was beginning to wish this had been a business date of Bruce's; at least then she wouldn't be required to join in.

Dick leaned back in his chair and nonchalantly pushed his sunglasses further up his nose. He didn't openly admit it, but it was fairly obvious he did _not_ want another run-in with the paparazzi or the crazy fangirls that managed to always find him. Apparently, the suspicious looks from the security guards for having his hood up and wearing shades was worth not being recognized. Helena rolled her eyes at his antics.

"Bruce and Alfred thought it'd be good for you to have some 'girl time,'" he said. "Besides, you'll like Barbara; she's great."

Helena huffed, leaning back as well, but only so she could avoid his gaze and stare at the ceiling. "They never asked me," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. She knew the two men were just trying to help, but it still hurt a bit that they didn't bother to talk to her about it. If they wanted her to spend 'girl time' with someone, she probably would've asked about Lois Lane. At least she knew Lois- she had never heard of this 'Barbara' before three hours ago.

But _nooo,_ Bruce had insisted she go to this 'rendez-vous.' He mentioned something about speaking to someone who went through a similar change and having an older figure to look up to being a good thing, but Helena wasn't on board with that. She felt somewhat betrayed that she was being told that she was to meet with someone not in advance, but also from the feeling that she was expected to open up to a stranger. Helena felt like he thought something was wrong with her.

"Hey, Babs!" Dick called, snapping Helena out of her thoughts. She watched cautiously as he stood up to greet a seated, red-haired woman who looked about his age. As the two made their way over to her, Helena's eyes widened as she realized that the woman was in a wheelchair. She turned her head away to hide her reaction and resulting flushed cheeks as Dick pulled his chair a bit to the side to allow her to roll up to his now vacant spot. He casually stood behind her, his gaze set on Helena. Helena frowned and crossed her arms, looking away from both of them and instead focusing on the mall shoppers on the other side of the coffee shop's glass wall.

Barbara wryly smiled at her actions. "Nice to meet you, Helena. I'm-"

"Barbara Gordon, I know." The girl sighed in exasperation, still not turning to look at either of them. She heard a sigh come from their direction.

"I think I can take it from here, Dick." She watched out the corner of her eye as Dick lay a questioning hand on Barbara's shoulder for a second before nodding and making his way out of the shop, weaving around tables as he did so. Helena waited until she assumed he was out of sight, and then allowed herself to face her "babysitter."

She raised an eyebrow, staring at the woman. "Are you with Dick?" She kicked her legs back and forth as she looked at Barbara, while trying to keep her face somewhat neutral. _Remember, you don't want to be here, Helena._

Barbara raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. "I was, for a time." She leaned forward and propped her hand up under her chin. "But I don't think you want to hear about all that."

Helena had to grudgingly admit she was right. She didn't really want to listen to anything anyone had to say right now. "What are you here for?" She snapped. "You don't even know me." _You don't care._

The elder dipped her head in agreement. "True, I don't know you." Her finger tapped against her chin several times. "But it might make it easier for you to talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to anybody. I'm fine," she mutter, crossing her arms in protest. Helena was very aware that she wasn't okay, but she didn't want to admit that. She could be strong- she _was_ strong. One look at the red-head confirmed that she hadn't believed a word. Helena didn't blame her. The woman stared at her in amusement for a good minute, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"There isn't a single person you'd be willing to talk to?" She decided to press further when Helena stayed silent, knowing that she was getting somewhere. "Word has it that you seem to like Lois Lane."

She knew she had won when the girl's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Who told you that?" She asked, only to roll her eyes and slump her shoulders in defeat. "Dick." Her gaze landed back on Barbara, hovering for a moment on her wheelchair before glancing back up, feeling embarrassed for staring. "Lois doesn't treat me like some weak child. Almost all the adults that have talked to me try to act so sorry, but it's all fake!" It was clear how much this bothered her, as Helena's voice had risen slightly and was beginning to tear up. "And the media doesn't help either..." She brought a hand up to rub at her watery eyes.

Barbara sadly smiled and looked away to give Helena some privacy as she calmed down. "I know how that feels." Her words brought Helena's attention back to her. "Just being friends with Grayson caused me to get a lot of attention, and it took some time to get used to. And being weak, well..." She laughed emptily, gesturing at the contraption she was in. "I've had a fair share of people think the same about me."

Helena stared down at her lap. This was someone else who had been abruptly thrust into a new world, and one that seemed to be able to relate to her; someone that had bad instances with the media and her new position, but hadn't let any of it keep her down. She felt a rush of guilt for acting rudely to Barbara. "I'm sorry. Can I try again?" She asked meekly. At the woman's encouraging nod, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm Helena; it's nice to meet you, Barbara."

"It's nice meeting you too. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

 _No,_ she thought, but her mouth apparently had a mind of its own. "I think that a bad thing happened that made you end up in a wheelchair and so I was wondering do you have nightmares too?" She blurted all at once, looking mortified the second after and clapping her hands to her mouth. "Sohhwry," came a muffled apology.

Barbara folded her arms on the table. "To answer your question: occasionally. There's nothing wrong with having nightmares after witnessing that battle, just as there's nothing wrong with me having them after I was paralyzed. " Her piercing blue look met Helena's calm brown one. "It's only a problem if you let them control you."

"I tried writing stuff down, but it didn't help," Helena murmured dejectedly.

The woman shrugged. "Talking about it sometimes works."

Helena found herself staring at the ceiling once again as she contemplated the pros and cons of telling someone about what she had lived through. She knew she didn't have to say anything she didn't want to, but she was afraid of being pitied. At the very least, the images wouldn't be something just stuck in her head anymore. There was something about speaking out loud that validated things and caused them to be less entrapping. "My mom... she had a meeting and told me it was okay to look around the building, but not to leave. So I went to the first floor; there was an employee lounge I always went to and I knew some other kids would probably be there. But by the time I got in there, the four in the room were staring at a TV and we saw the damage that had been done to that Kansas town. And then..."

 _We have to get out of here!_

 _You can't go back up there, the building might collapse any second._

 _My brother's upstairs!_

 _No, no, no don't go in the elevator-_

"Helena!"

Snapping out of her trance, Helena looked around wildly for a moment before remembering she was in a coffee shop with Barbara. Said woman was worriedly looking at her, and the Wayne girl wondered how long she had spaced out for. "Sorry... there was this girl who went in the elevator as those tremors started and parts of the ceiling began to fall in. We thought the elevator broke... we heard screams." She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Me and the three other kids ran out of the building, but there were so many other people running in the streets I don't know if they... y'know. It was so crazy, the next thing I remember, Bruce pushed me out of the way of that falling cement." Helena finally looked up at Barbara. "It's weird; I feel like I was supposed to survive, but everything else seems wrong..."

Barbara shook her head. "Don't think for a second none of this should've happened. It all happens for a reason, you just might not know what that reason is until later. Trust me," she nodded her head slightly. "I thought the same. But I found my purpose. You'll find yours too."

Feeling her eyes start to water, Helena stared at her lap. "What about everything else? How do I forget?"

"You don't." The redhead smiled sadly at her. "This isn't a new beginning for you, it's just a new chapter. Don't let what happened hold you back, learn from it and use it to make yourself stronger."


	9. Playground

The scratches on her hands were definitely worth the end result, she decided.

It hadn't taken long for her to find her way outside the next morning without anybody noticing. Dick had come home early that morning from a night out on the town; she had seen him heading in to his room as she came out of hers. Alfred hadn't been anywhere downstairs, and she never knew where to begin to find Bruce anyways. Therefore, she knew she wouldn't get caught for a good while in her endeavors.

Helena didn't know how to begin making herself stronger at first. She had lain awake for hours, staring at the ceiling until she was able to form an idea. She wasn't sure what Bruce had available for her to use, and didn't really want to bring up the subject to him either- at least, not yet. Running around the manor was already a decided option: it was simple for her to do and wouldn't cause too many questions. Maybe she could set up obstacles... but out of what? Her mind strayed to the woods. It was perfect! The amount of logs and stumps and broken branches would be sure to act as adequate hurdles.

The next morning, she found herself executing her plan. Waking up early, Helena put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and sneakers, before shoveling down a quick breakfast and heading outside. The brisk morning air tingled against her cheeks, causing her to smile slightly as she realized she was finally going to do something that mattered to herself. Humming under her breath, the girl set off through the tall grass at a jog, heading towards the tree line.

The rising sun's light dimmed visibly once under the tree cover, the leaves above her head leaving a random smattering of shadows on the ground. Her footfalls padded softly on the carpet of decaying vegetation, a twig cracking every so often beneath her. As a challenge, Helena slowed her pace and focused on making as little sound as possible. She imagined herself not flying, but as a ghostly figure skimming silently over the ground.

It was only when her shirt became caught on a thorny vine that she stopped running and actively looked at her surroundings. The trees were green, but almost seemed golden with the sunlight glinting off their leaves. She spun around on one foot, questioning how she could've arrived at her current location when (if she was being honest) she couldn't find the path she had taken to get there. It wasn't that everything looked the same, but nothing appeared familiar. The thorns that had hindered her journey dug into her side to remind her why she stopped, and it took her several frustrating moments to work them out of the cloth.

Helena now had a larger dilemma, though. The sun was rising higher, and she had no idea how to get back to the manor. _Now_ she wished she could fly- she'd be able to see from a bird's point of view and find the mansion easily from above the treetops...

A bird's eye view.

She glanced around excitedly to find any broken branch ends that could act as footholds on a sturdy trunk. Bounding over to a suitable tree, she grabbed hold of the natural ladder to pull herself up towards the canopy. The scratches that soon covered her hands were ignored until she successfully reached a fork in the trunk and nestled herself in the gap. It was almost as if it was a throne that had been waiting for her. The forest was her kingdom, and all the twittering birds and squeaking squirrels and clicking insects were her subjects. She wondered if that's how Superman felt when he hovered above the entire world.

"Trying to fly off, little birdie?" A voice amusedly called from beneath her, almost sending the girl tumbling from her seat high above. She wrapped her arms around one side of the trunk before staring down at the speaker. She narrowed her eyes in annoyance when she saw it was Dick. He grinned up at her.

"I just needed to go outside..." she tried to explain, but stopped as he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone needs a break sometimes." He shrugged, crossing his arms. "I used to do it a lot, too- still do, I guess- but less after Bruce installed something in the manor."

Helena knew this was a trap, but decided to reply anyways. "What'd he add?"

"Gotta come down and see for yourself!" He turned around and began walking away into the foliage, leaving her to scramble down quickly to follow him. She caught up after a moment, slightly out of breath and hoping that they wouldn't have to go too far. However, the several-minute trek was far shorter than she expected. "I think you might've looped back on yourself while out there; you stayed pretty close to the house." He was right; the spot they emerged from was extremely close to where she had entered.

"Mhmm," she hummed quietly, feeling slightly foolish. She dipped her head and crossed her arms to try and hide the embarrassed blush that was spreading across her face. Dick pretended he hadn't seen it. "Where exactly are we going?"

He grinned, holding the front door open for her as she stepped into the foyer. "The basement."

She rocked back onto her heels in a mixture of surprise and excitement. "I've never been down there before."

"Always a first for everything, 'Lena." Dick laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him before he led them down the steps to the lower levels. Helena was amazed to find herself staring at a large indoor gymnasium, complete with what appeared to be a professional set of weights, bars, mats, and gymnastics equipment. Her focus snapped quickly to the set of parallel bars and rings that hung in the back quarter of the area.

"A lot of this is Bruce's stuff," Dick gestured at the room as a whole, "but the space in the back is mine. Feel free to come down and use it when you want to." He scratched his head in thought. "Though I should probably show you how to use them first..." he muttered, glancing down at her.

The familiar sound of Alfred's amused chuckle caused the pair of Waynes to turn around. "Yes, Master Dick," the older man said with a smirk. "I believe that would be most wise."

* * *

 **I've got plenty of good excuses that I'm sure none of you want to hear, but my prolonged absence from posting basically whittles down to the fact that AP classes are hell. If you've managed to survive the AP chemistry course then you, my friend, deserve a medal.**

 **Yeah, so I might update faster this next time. I haven't forgotten this story, don't worry. Got anything you wanna ask/say, feel free to comment or DM me. Thanks for your time :)**

 **lilhawkeye3 the tired**


	10. Maybe a Bird, Not a Plane

"I can't believe we didn't know we had missed your birthday!" Lois apologized as she and Helena walked side-by-side back to the Daily Planet. The occasional flash of a camera and the more frequent glances and whispers from passers by didn't faze either of them after their outing in the reconstructing city. Each was carrying shopping bags in both hands, full of new outfits for Helena (and a few for Lois as well). "Consider this a belated present."

Helena smiled happily up at the woman. "It's okay; this was fun!" She shrugged. "Besides, Bruce said that I needed to pick out some clothes for myself instead of Alfred doing all the work." Her grin faded a bit. "Him and Dick had an argument the other day; I think he wanted me away from the manor for a while."

Argument was a bit of an understatement. The two men had shouted at each other over what seemed to her like unimportant things for the most part, until the real issue boiled up to the surface: Bruce wasn't happy about Dick teaching her his gymnastic skills, for whatever reason. Helena had hid herself in the kitchen- she was safe in Alfred's domain. Her tree-climbing experience enabled her to get up onto the top shelf in the pantry, which is where the butler later found her, with an almost-empty box of Oreos in her lap. It took another box to coax her down.

"You must understand, Master Bruce reacted only because he wishes you to be safe," he said gently as she swung her legs freely from her seat at the counter.

Helena rolled her eyes, trying to ignore how sad she felt over the event. "Dick _was_ making sure I was safe," she muttered. "I never even went down there without him."

Alfred hummed understandingly. "Perhaps you'd like to spend tomorrow out in the city? A day out can help clear both of your heads."

She had to admit, shopping with Lois had been a fun distraction. And a bonus for her: Metropolis seemed too busy to care about the young Wayne's presence among them. Besides, Lois seemed to enjoy her presence, and even though she now looked forward to her coffee-shop meetings with Barbara, it was nice to hang around another woman for a change.

"Can we do this again?" Helena asked hopefully, glancing up at the reporter. She let out a sigh of relief as she received a nod in return.

"I would stay out with you longer today, but I have to get back to work on an assignment." Lois gestured towards the doors of her office building as they paused their walking. "Besides, Clark wanted to say hello anyways, so you can stay with him for a bit until you have to go…"

She trailed off as a trio of black SUVs stopped suddenly in front of the Daily Planet, effectively trapping the two on the sidewalk between the street and the skyscraper's entrance. Several figures clothed in black exited each vehicle and a fleeting thought had Helena thinking they all focused in on her.

That idea was validated only moments later as one pointed at her and their comrades began to move in. The girl glanced up at Lois to see a fearful shadow cross her face. "Maybe we should get inside- Helena!"

Helena didn't hear her, as she was already sprinting away from Lois and the other innocents close to the building. The thud of several pairs of heavy boots behind her urged her to run faster, brushing past people and vaulting over fire hydrants and bike racks. The block ended sooner than she would've liked, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and Helena ran into the busy city traffic.

"Do not let her get away!" She heard one of the men shout, and cringed as she thought she heard the sound of guns cocking. The other side of the street was so close, she could make it-

Her world drastically shifted as Helena felt something strong wrap around her waist; she hardly had time to widen her eyes before she felt herself rising through the air. A shriek escaped her mouth and she began to kick wildly, finally shutting her eyes tight when she realized how high up she was. "Put me down put me DOWN!" It was only a few moments later before she felt herself being place on solid ground.

Well, solid was correct. A quick glance at her surroundings showed she was on the roof of the Daily Planet, alone. She sat down hurriedly in order to keep herself grounded.

 _Grounded._ She weakly laughed at her thought process.

"Are you okay?" Helena jumped and yelped as a voice spoke up from behind her. She whirled around to find the person she was angry at the most in the world standing before her. She narrowed her eyes cautiously.

"I'm fine," she replied curtly. She stood up, combing her fingers through her brown hair as she did so.

The Man of Steel took a step towards her. "Are you sure? Those men could've killed you…"

Helena stared him dead in the eye. "They wouldn't be the first." _You were,_ she left unspoken, and yet it seemed that he had heard it anyways.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly, reaching a hand out to rest on her shoulder, but Helena (tried to) smack it away.

"Don't touch me!"

"Helena, I-"

"NO!" Helena finally snapped and began to shout at the man, tears escaping her eyes. "You're the reason Metropolis was destroyed! You're the reason my mom is dead! You're the reason there's so many of us 'battle orphans!'" She panted heavily as she finished speaking.

The girl was slightly taken aback by how defeated the alien appeared. His shoulders slumped after every accusation she hurled, his eyes were duller, even his hair looked droopy. A pang of guilt stung in her chest, but Helena didn't flinch.

"I know," he murmured. He moved to sit on the ledge of the roof. Helena wasn't entirely sure it was safe (but then remembered he could fly) and joined him in his quiet thought. "My actions hurt so many," he spoke up quietly. "I hurt so many. I _killed_ so many. And yet so many still look up to me like… like a god of some sort." He lifted his gaze to blankly watch the horizon. "But Ma doesn't hate me; Lois doesn't hate me, and I don't know why." _Sigh._ "And I can't just up and disappear either. People still call to me for help… I can't just not help."

Helena stopped listening after that as her attention went back to one of the names he had said. "Wait: _Lois?_ " She leaned away from him in shock and her face went pale. "Waaait… _Clark?!_ "

Superman looked like a deer caught in headlights. _Shit._ "Uh… hello."

The two sat in silence for a while, intent on ignoring the busted secret by watching the people on the street below.

"So..." Helena looked at him eventually, cringing awkwardly. "You're Superman."

Clark sighed, dragging his fingers sluggishly through his hair. "Yeah."

"...Superman is a reporter."

He squinted at her. "Problem with that?"

"No," she lied smoothly. "I'm just surprised no one else has noticed."

Clark shrugged and sat down next to her, both their legs dangling off the side off the building in the air. "I've found that people can be extremely oblivious when they want to."

"Like you said: people are looking for a god, not an average guy."

She didn't notice his surprised gaze turn on her, instead preoccupied with watching the sunlight sparkle off the water in the distant horizon. Neither of them spoke again for several moments, instead focusing on the relative peace they found high above the busy streets of Metropolis. Helena used those moments to try and process what exactly had happened.

"I hate Superman," she whispered. "You took my mom. You hurt a lot of people." Another group of tears rolled down her cheeks. "But I like Clark." She crossed her arms stubbornly. "I like part of you. But don't expect this to be magically fixed soon. I can't forgive you totally just yet. It hurts too much." He nodded solemnly.

"So Lois knows?" She finally asked, feeling relieved when Clark let out a breathy chuckle.

"Oh yeah."

"Hmm. Well, you two are cute."

He ruffled her hair in amusement, grinning at her whiny protests. "Glad someone's rooting for us."

Helena looked at him oddly. Was no adult capable of reading news sites online? _And he even works for one!_ "Clark, the entire _world_ is talking about it. Well, also about her supposed connection with Superman," she eyed his crest, "which doesn't seem to be much of an issue anymore."

He stared at her curiously before laughing again. "You're a weird kid, y'know?"

She shrugged. "I know."


	11. Beginning to Function

"You know, it's not healthy to obsess over something like that," Dick murmured sympathetically as he leaned over Helena's shoulder to pause the video she was watching. The image of Superman snatching the large guns from her attacker's hands froze on her tablet screen, causing her to huff in annoyance. She wasn't 'obsessing.' Besides, that had happened over a month ago.

"When did you get back?" She asked, watching him curiously as he rounded the counter to raid the refrigerator. The past two weeks, he had been in San Francisco to act as the resident Wayne representative for some major trade deals. Barbara had even gone along with him ("someone's got to be the brains here"), so she had been relatively bored. Or she would have been, if not for the homework she had been assigned.

Even though she had essentially been under house arrest after the whole Metropolis debacle, Bruce had enrolled her in school. Helena had to agree it was a reasonable decision- she had already missed several months, but thankfully much of the area's education had shifted to accommodate those affected by the alien attack. Gotham Academy was more than eager to accept the new and beloved Wayne heir regardless of the circumstances, and after a few lengthy tutoring sessions she found herself at the same level as her peers.

Gotham Academy wasn't anything of note to Helena, but that was probably just because she had experienced far scarier things than being the new student at school. It _was_ uncomfortable, though; the constant whispers and fake smiles from the students and teachers followed her everywhere. They stayed out of her business, however, and she stayed out of theirs. (This was easier said than done sometimes- Gotham Academy had its strange moments).

"I only got back an hour ago," Dick said casually, drawing her focus back to him. He had found the leftovers Alfred had set aside just for him and Helena rolled her eyes as he began to talk and eat at the same time. "Nothing exciting. How's the Academy?"

She shrugged. "Like the paparazzi, but smaller cameras. Teachers all seem to love you," she teased. Dick smirked around his fork. "They've been talking about the Bat more recently, though."

Luckily for him, Helena didn't notice Dick tense suddenly. "Just rumors from online?"

"No, some kid's rich uncle was questioned by him the other night." Helena frowned in thought. "I didn't hear most of the story."

"Huh. Well, it's always good to know what's going on around you. Keep an ear out," he smiled before making to head out of the room. "Bruce here?"

"Upstairs." She watched him leave before turning her tablet back on and finishing the shaky clip of Superman saving her once more. It frightened her once more to see how close she came to harm, but at the same time, it gave her closure.

It didn't give her closure on the fact that Superman was Clark Kent. Honestly, given any other circumstances, she probably wouldn't have figured it out. But between her high adrenaline giving aid to her over-analysis of the situation and being taken out of harm's way relatively quickly, she had an opportunity that many others didn't. Having Lois to confirm it afterwards helped, too- or at least once she stopped fretting over Helena enough to realize that they were both addressing the Kryptonian as Clark. One freakout later, and Helena was up to speed on their real "how we met" story.

Kind of stalkery on Lois' part, but she was a very good investigative reporter.

A quiet ding brought Helena's gaze back down to her tablet to find a message from one of her schoolmates; in reality, it was the one friend she had in the halls of Gotham Academy.

 _-Big brother back yet?-_ Artemis was two years above her and had a reputation that preceded her. From what Helena had learned from other students (and the trusty internet), her father was in and out of prison sporadically and a known for hire. As a scholarship student, Artemis did have to tread carefully, but she found her ways reply with equal force to those who bullied her. That didn't happen much anymore, for reasons that would make Artemis smirk in satisfaction.

 _-Just got back.-_

 _-Cool. Wanna chat then?-_

Having someone her age to talk to was nice. _-Gimme a minute to go to my room.-_

 _-kk-_

Helena grinned and snatched her tablet as she jumped down from her barstool and began to jog up the stairs. She paused on the first landing, hand still on the bannister, as emotional tones filtered out from Bruce's office.

"Don't you think you should tell her before something bad happens? Or, I don't know, she finds out for herself and takes it badly?" Dick's voice had a restrained edge to it.

"Dick, enough." Bruce obviously wasn't going to deal with wherever the conversation was going.

"I don't think it is." A moment of terse silence fell. "If this ends up like before, it's on you."

By the time Dick exited the room, Helena had disappeared upstairs. She shut her door quietly before sitting down slowly, pressing the button on her device to dial Artemis' number. She let out a relieved breath when her friend's face appeared on the screen.

" _Lena, what's wrong?"_ Artemis questioned worriedly.

"I don't think Bruce wants me here!"

* * *

 **a/n:** Hi guys. I'm alive (barely). Got a few major tests coming up in the next weeks, and prep for them has taken up sooo much time! Sorry for not updating sooner. This is a bit of a filler chapter to set up the next few, cause some major stuff is gonna go down! I know a bunch of people have been waiting for BvS, and we're almost there my friends.

This chapter was also in response to some good criticism I had on the last one. Yeah, Helena found out about Supes/Clark pretty fast and I did try to account for that a bit. It also did show that Helena eventually found out how much danger she really was in, so Supes saving her wasn't too weird (that's my bad, I didn't explain it to well before). Then lastly, to the wonderful Aurora and everyone else who may have been confused on where I was coming from: yes, Zod was the reason for the destruction of Metropolis. Yes, it's his fault. However, if Superman didn't have any guilt or ptsd side effects from the fact that his fight did destroy much of a city, then he's unstable. I don't think he would just brush off the event, and being told point blank by a young kid that he (although Zod was the main reason) was behind what killed her mom, all that would come rushing back. Hope you kind of get where I'm coming from. As always, thank you for the feedback and keep it coming!


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